1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the attachment of a movable member to a stationary member. In one application the present invention adjusts the orientation of the axis around which a shank of a ski boot is journalled on a shell base. In another application the present invention adjusts the position of the attachment point of one member to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ski boots are made from relatively rigid plastic materials because these rigid materials transmit as directly as possible the forces and movements of the skier's leg to the ski. However, the use of these rigid materials causes difficulty for skiers whose feet have a morphology that is not compatible with the standardized configuration of ski boot shells.
One type of ski boot in which this difficulty is evident is the type having a shank or sleeve journalled on a shell base so as to permit forward flexion movement of the leg and the corresponding backward movements of the leg. In some boots of this type the shank pivots freely around the journal axis, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ski, and along a path in the longitudinal plane of the ski. In other boots of this type, the shank can be attached to the shell base at one given angular position with respect to a vertical axis, defined as the forward angle.
The ability to adjust the position of the skier's calf in relation to the foot by permitting forward flexion or adjusting the forward angle of the shank is not sufficient to make these types of boots comfortable for everyone because the morphology of skier's legs and feet are quite varied and include numerous irregular shapes, such as bowed legs or feet which point inward or outward.
In order to ski properly, these types of irregular morphologies must be compensated for. This is particularly true for very good skiers, who are sensitive to the least lateral deviation of their legs and feet from a vertical axis, when their feet and legs lean forward with respect to the ski.
There already exist several adjustment apparatus for adjusting the axis around which the shank is journalled on the shell base so as to compensate for foot irregularities that cause lateral deviation of the foot and leg from a vertical axis when leaning forward. These known adjustment apparatus have been adopted by some boots already on the market. One example is described in French Pat. No. 2,166,677, and comprises one or several oblong holes located in the shell base. Grooves located on the outer walls of the shell base cooperate with notches located on the inside of the walls of the journalled shank. Although this arrangement works, it is difficult to see the notches and grooves, and to choose a particular notch and groove when adjusting the apparatus. The skier must, therefore, proceed blindly to determine how much of a change in the angular orientation of the journal axis is best suited to his needs.
A second angular adjustment system for the shank of a boot is disclosed in the Kastinger catalog of boots in his 81-82 collection. These boots have small oblong inserts which contain a hole that is not centered with respect to the outer contour of the insert. This hole is adapted to receive the journal axis pin of the shank. In this type of arrangement, the adjustment of the orientation of the journal axis is accomplished by using a set of three types of different inserts which permit the journal axis to assume five possible angular positions. However, in order to change the orientation of the journal axis, inserts must be removed and replaced by the other inserts. This type of adjustment is inconvenient because the skier constantly needs to maintain a complete set of different types of inserts to change the orientation of the journal axis.